El Mirador

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El Mirador is in Guatemala.

[edit] Introduction

The reasons that El Mirador is not swamped with tourists are its inaccessibility and, despite a lot of work being done here, there is generally not a lot to be seen except for many unrestored mounds and pyramids in the jungle. Structure 34 is an exception, where some interesting figures were unearthed and an entire wall has been laid bare. Danta is another exception, where work to stabilize it was done. Once a person has hiked to the top of El Tigre, the view that awaits is mostly of jungle and other ruins, such as Calakmul and Nakbé in the distance. Still, it is the idea of a formerly lost city in the jungle that brings people to see it.

[edit] History

El Mirador flourished as a trading center from around 200 BCE to 150 CE during the Maya Pre-Classic Period. With a population as high as 80,000, it was one of the first large cities in North America. In the mid second century CE the entire Mirador Basin with numerous other cities and villages became depopulated. There is little evidence of a population until there was a modest one in the Late Classic Period.

On April 18th, 2002, President Alfonso Portillo signed legislation, which established the Mirador Basin National Monument as a Special Archaeological Zone. This is intended to provide for the permanent protection of 600,000 acres of tropical rainforest in this area, which surrounds the oldest and largest Maya archaeological sites in Mesoamerica. The Mirador Basin National Monument is designed as a wilderness preserve without roads.

However, events of 2005 in Guatemala have pitted ranching and logging interests against this effort. Even some locals who do not see how tourism in the area will benefit them yet are in favor of what will result in roads, short term logging, non-sustainable swidden agriculture and ranches where once there was rain forest. See http://news.mongabay.com/2005/1113-wsj.html.

[edit] Landscape

It's not a rain forest for at least half of the year.

[edit] Flora and fauna

Animals and insects were surprisingly sparse in January, but were fairly common in an earlier July trip. It is very dry for enough of the year to make survival a problem. You will most likely hear birds, but may see them from time to time. There are some monkeys, both howler and spider. The area has some interesting butterflies, spiders and an occasional snake.

[edit] Climate

Tropical, but it will get cool toward morning. You will enjoy a hot drink then.

[edit] Getting in

Virtually all trips in go via the village of Carmelita, but these can be arranged in Flores or Santa Elena.

Go via mule train with a guide. The wetter it is, the better it is to also pay for another mule for riding. The driest months are March and April.

Travel lightly. Only bring a large ribbed backpack if you plan to carry it yourself all day. Your duffel or soft bodied backpack should be small enough to easily be of such a size that it could be a legal carry on if you took it onto an airline.

Many agencies in Flores and Santa Elena can arrange it for you and this will include transportation to Carmelita and back. Generally speaking, the more people in the group, the cheaper it is per person.

An exception to this is the Carmelita Cooperative. To use it directly instead of through some agency, after calling and arranging your trip ahead of time, you would take the afternoon bus to Carmelita the day before departure, then stay in the inexpensive and basic rooms behind the comedor. In the morning you would have an early start and there would be no rush to get back your final trip day, because you would be taking the bus back to Flores the next morning.

As of early 2006, for one person, the Co-op charges would be $342 each plus 15% tip, for two it would be $235 plus, but for a third, it would be $251 plus, and for a fourth, $261, but it starts dipping back after that.

See http://www.mostlymaya.com/howto/Miradorlogis.html for more information on getting there.

[edit] Fees/Permits

None.

[edit] Get around

It is best to do this trip with a sixth day to see Nakbé, which is 3 1/2 to 4 hours away and just a bit closer to Carmelita. Much of the route there will take you along an ancient causeway, which you can still see the edges of. Going this route also makes you head back in such a way that you will travel through more lost cities along your way. If you are smart, you will make sure that the extra day includes a short detour to the ruins of Wakná, where work has just begun.

[edit] See

The city's main group of buildings covers two square kilometers and many were built on a grand scale. The largest pyramid at El Mirador, El Tigre, has six times the surface area as Temple IV at Tikal and is 55 meters tall.

The Danta Complex is about 300 meters wide on each side of the bottom base, which is 7 meters high and supports a series of buildings. The next and smaller platform rises another 7 meters. Above that is another platform around 21 meters high, which is topped off by three pyramids, the tallest of which is 21 meters high. The total height is 70 meters, making it taller than Temple IV at Tikal.

[edit] Do

Current tours also can involve visiting Nakbé and will take longer than seeing just the one site. They require stamina and involve riding horses (or more often mules) or walking for around 27-30 hours over the course of five days. Saddle horses or mules are good to have along, but if you are not going in the rainy season, you will probably alternate walking with riding and may want to share a horse among two of you.

[edit] Buy

Buy what you need beforehand. The guards at any Guatemalan ruin rotate in for 40 days at a time, so consider buying and bringing "items" for them. Food treats or adult beverages would be enjoyed.

Be sure to bring and use DEET. Also spray pants legs and legging part of sox with Permethrin.

[edit] Eat

Food is included in any outfitted trip to El Mirador, but protein may be in short supply for most meals. Bring snacks and granola bars.

If you deal directly or indirectly with the Carmelita Cooperativa, the jungle portion of the trip will begin and end with a meal in the Carmelita comedor and the rest of the food is likely to be better.

[edit] Drink

BYO, except for water. Great tips to bring for the guards at El Mirador are whiskey or rum.

On cool mornings, unless you really like instant coffee every day, hot chocolate or latte mixes will hit the spot.

[edit] Sleep

Hammocks, mosquito nets and blanket provided. If rain is possible, your guide should put a tarp overhead.

[edit] Lodging

Hammocks with mosquito netting and a blanket (included in all trips) are great.

[edit] Camping

Any trip with a guide includes solid cloth hammocks, mosquito netting and a blanket. If it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere, you might enjoy a light sweater to sleep in.

Any time of year you are likely to enjoy a hot drink in the morning. Hint - a chai latte from a powder mix tastes wonderful there, but you need to bring it.

[edit] Stay safe

The last thing that anyone connected with these trips wants is for anything bad to happen to travelers. The local economy depends on good trips happening. Cooks are very careful to cook in such a way that no one gets sick and I think that thieves would receive a cold and dangerous reception there.

[edit] Tips

Always have a flashlight handy when leaving your hammock in the dark. Just going a little way to urinate might turn you around.